Taiwan – an island wrapped in morning mist, where wet earth mingles with incense from temple courtyards. At dawn, tea plantations shine like jade; by night, neon paints the streets in bright colors. Scooters buzz past monks in saffron robes and teenagers sipping bubble tea. Once called “Ilha Formosa” (the Beautiful Island), today it is the heart of Asia, both mythical and hyper-modern.Taipei, the capital, lives within a paradox. From a sleek mall, you step beneath red lanterns; in an alley,